This category honors excellence in catering. Eligible entrants include caterers, specialty bakeries, restaurants, facility operators, hotels, or any other entity that provides food to the special events industry.

This category honors excellence in corporate event planning. Eligible entrants include corporate event planning professionals, facility or venue managers, producers, and managers of events for corporations. Events in this category may include but are not limited to, company celebrations, employee or client appreciation or celebrations, etc.

(Budget Worksheet Over $75k)

This category honors excellence in corporate event planning. Eligible entrants include corporate event planning professionals, facility or venue managers, producers, and managers of events for corporations. Events in this category may include but are not limited to, company celebrations, employee or client appreciation or celebrations, etc.

(Budget Worksheet Under $75k)

This category honors excellence in baking. Eligible entrants include caterers, specialty bakeries, restaurants, hotels, or any other entity that provides desserts to the special events industry.

This category honors excellence in entertainment production. Eligible entrants include entertainment producers, choreographers, designers, event professionals, or performers of event entertainment.

(Budget Worksheet Over $50k)

This category honors excellence in entertainment production. Eligible entrants include entertainment producers, choreographers, designers, event professionals, or performers of event entertainment.

(Budget Worksheet Under $50k)

This category honors excellence in the live event industry, in creating event activations that align with the client’s brand, engages attendees, and leverages social media for maximum impact.

This category honors excellence in event design. Design/Décor items in this category include but are not limited to theme decor, floral design, props, scenery, display design, and/or balloon artistry.

(Budget Worksheet $25-75k)

This category honors excellence in event design. Design/Décor items in this category include but are not limited to theme decor, floral design, props, scenery, display design, and/or balloon artistry.)

(Budget Worksheet Over $75k)

This category honors excellence in event design. Design/Décor items in this category include but are not limited to theme decor, floral design, props, scenery, display design, and/or balloon artistry.

(Budget Worksheet Under $25k)

This category honors excellence in event videography. Eligible entrants are videographers or event planning professionals who produced a video(s) for a business-related purpose(s).

This category honors excellence in event photography. Eligible entrants are photographers or event planning professionals who produced a photograph(s) for a business-related purpose(s).

This category honors excellence in floral design. Eligible entrants include floral designers or event planners who worked closely with the florist on the concept. Entrants can also enter the Best Design Decor category, but the submission must describe the full event design, not just floral design.

This category honors an event professional whose event, service, or product impacted the growth and prestige of the live events industry. The contribution may be an article, a speech, a product, a book, a program, or an event. This is not a lifetime achievement award. 

Note: This is the only category where names and companies/logos are permitted.

This category honors excellence in logistics and event support services. Eligible entrants include but are not limited to tenting, transportation, crowd control, risk management, and/or other specialty services (photo booths, valet parking, etc.).

This category honors excellence in digital and print marketing/design. Eligible entrants include producers and designers of digital and print event marketing collateral. Eligible collateral includes advertising, promotional pieces, invitations, event signage, etc.

This category honors excellence in meeting/conference programs. Eligible entrants include meeting and conference planning professionals, destination management companies, or other entities that provide these types of meeting/conference services for single or multi-day programs. The entry should include BOTH a meeting and a special event component.

This category honors excellence in non-profit event planning. Eligible entrants include non-profit event planning professionals and other entities that provide these types of non-profit event planning services. Events in this category may include but are not limited to, fundraisers, institutions, campaigns, kick-off events, and/or donor events.

(Budget Worksheet Over $75k)

This category honors excellence in non-profit event planning. Eligible entrants include non-profit event planning professionals and other entities that provide these types of non-profit event planning services. Events in this category may include but are not limited to, fundraisers, institutions, campaigns, kick-off events, and/or donor events.

(Budget Worksheet Under $75k)

This category honors individuals or companies that have met and overcome significant or unique event challenges, including but not limited to unusual or difficult client demands, locations, logistics, and/or time frames in the planning and production of an event. Limited budgets do not qualify as an award-worthy challenge. Must be an event; no products are permitted in this category.

This category honors excellence in planning and implementing public events. Eligible entrants include public event planning professionals or other entities that provide these types of public event services. Events in this category may include but are not limited to, street fairs, festivals, trade shows, concerts, and sporting events.

This category honors excellence in social event planning. Eligible entrants include social event planning professionals and other entities that provide these types of social event planning services. Events in this category include but are not limited to bar/bat mitzvahs, personal celebrations, and milestone birthdays, i.e., Sweet 16, 40, 50, etc. Weddings are not eligible in this category; see Wedding Category.

(Budget Worksheet Over $75k)

This category honors excellence in social event planning. Eligible entrants include social event planning professionals and other entities that provide these types of social event planning services. Events in this category include but are not limited to bar/bat mitzvahs, personal celebrations, and milestone birthdays, i.e., Sweet 16, 40, 50, etc. Weddings are not eligible in this category; see Wedding Category.

(Budget Worksheet Under $75k)

This category recognizes outstanding collaboration by a team of event professionals on a live event with a budget exceeding $75,000. Eligible entries must meet the following criteria:

• The team must consist of at least three individuals, each of whom played a key role in planning and executing the event. 
• All team members must be active members of a professional event industry association such as ILEA, NACE, AAHA, etc. Membership in a professional association is mandatory — being part of a larger company (such as a DMC) does not qualify on its own.
• Team members do not need to be based in the same city, but must all belong to an association chapter within Texas.
• Only one submission is allowed per event. A Team Leader must be designated and will be responsible for submitting the entry on behalf of the group.
• For Question #6 of the entry form, each participating team member is required to provide an individual response. The Team Leader is responsible for collecting and including these responses in the final entry.

This category is open to any event produced for a client, showcasing the strength of teamwork and professional collaboration within the Texas event industry.

(Budget Worksheet Over $75k)

This category recognizes outstanding collaboration by a team of event professionals on a live event with a budget not exceeding $75,000. Eligible entries must meet the following criteria:

• The team must consist of at least three individuals, each of whom played a key role in planning and executing the event.
• All team members must be active members of a professional event industry association such as ILEA, NACE, AAHA, etc. Membership in a professional association is mandatory — being part of a larger company (such as a DMC) does not qualify on its own.
• Team members do not need to be based in the same city, but must all belong to an association chapter within Texas.
• Only one submission is allowed per event. A Team Leader must be designated and will be responsible for submitting the entry on behalf of the group.
• For Question #6 of the entry form, each participating team member is required to provide an individual response. The Team Leader is responsible for collecting and including these responses in the final entry.

This category is open to any event produced for a client, showcasing the strength of teamwork and professional collaboration within the Texas event industry.

(Budget Worksheet Under $75k)

This category honors excellence in special event technical, design, or execution services of a non-social event (corporate, non-profit, etc.). Eligible items include but are not limited to lighting, audio visual, multi-media, staging, and special effects.

This category recognizes excellence in wedding planning services for a micro wedding or elopement for up to 50 people (including the wedding party). Eligible entrants include wedding planning professionals and other entities that provide wedding planning services. All elements of the micro wedding/elopement must be included, not just one section (flowers, venue, etc.).

This category honors excellence in wedding planning. Eligible entrants include wedding planning professionals and other entities that provide these types of wedding planning services. Events in this category are limited to weddings only.

(Budget Worksheet $75-150k)

This category honors excellence in wedding planning. Eligible entrants include wedding planning professionals and other entities that provide these types of wedding planning services. Events in this category are limited to weddings only.

(Budget Worksheet Over $150k)

This category honors excellence in wedding planning. Eligible entrants include wedding planning professionals and other entities that provide these types of wedding planning services. Events in this category are limited to weddings only.

(Budget Worksheet Under $75k)